Cousin
by goblinphantomgirl
Summary: When Charlie's cousin comes to visit everything Willy ever thought about girls changes drastically. Can our favourite candyman experience his first ever bit of romance? : Based on Tim's masterpiece. :
1. Chapter 1

_Hey Guys, i hope you all like this story. I always wondered what Willy Wonka in a romantic relationship would be like and now i guess we can all see." :) **Please R&R **:) God Bless xx_

**Chapter One: We All Meet Her**

"Well, this is the place soooo…what! Wh-where did it go?" Melissa looked around at the spot where her aunt and uncle's house used to be. Presently, there remained nothing but a snowy white patch with some old, rotten timber lying upon it.

She dropped her bag surreptitiously upon the snow trodden ground. What was she to do now? Every single year during her school holidays she came to her aunt and uncle's house to see them and her grandparents and her sweet little cousin Charlie. Of course she got a casual job while she was there so their cabbage soup was little denser than normal but this year… it was like the house had clean vanished into thin air!

While she stood standing there with one hand on her hip and the other on her chin and she contemplated whether or not she should go back home or attempt to track down where they had gone she felt a little hand tap her on her back.

She assumed it was a small child and turned around with a smile to see what they wanted when she saw that it was a little man, or at least, she thought it was little man (she couldn't tell through the several layers of thick clothing and the goggles) who sat upon a shiny red vesper and who had a letter held out to her with _Melissa _written upon it in Charlie's recognizably messy scrawl.

Gingerly, she reached out and took the letter from the little man. "Thankyou" she said, still a little shocked. The man bobbed his head once quickly before turning and speeding off up the road.

Melissa looked to see if anyone had noticed him but there was no one else around so she simply shrugged her shoulders, accepted that this was just an odd day and began to open the envelope.

The letter appeared to be upon a piece of personalized letter paper with the initials _W.W _in bold purple font up in the top right hand corner. The letter itself read:

_Dear Melissa,_

_You are probably wondering where we are right now, well, something most amazing has happened but I want to tell you in person. _

_Go to the Chocolate Factory and ask for me at the door. _

_Till then, much love_

_Charlie_

Go to the chocolate factory? She was still in a bit of a daze but picked up her bag and began trekking up the road towards the chocolate factory, in the direction that the little man on the red vesper had gone in.

* * *

"Excellent Charlie, so the lickable nailpolish is a success?"

"I think so Willy, and I've managed to create three flavours so that all girls can enjoy candy when they're waiting for something and get bored. Of course, I'll need to create an alternative for boys, we get bored too you know but I think this is a good achievement in itself for now. Hey! We can test it on Melissa when she comes can't we."

"Yeah, sure…" Willy trailed off disgustedly. From what he could remember of girls from when he was a boy, they were not worth the bother, chewing disgusting gum and flapping their eyelashes at you and expecting you to give them some of your sweets. Yuck! Of course, he hadn't seen a girl since he was about 10, apart from those two vile ones with the golden tickets.

An oompa-loompa marched into the room then, folded his arms across his chest and bowed low to them.

"She's here?" Charlie asked excitedly, before racing out of the room and down ten different corridors to the front door, not waiting for an affirmative nod from the oompa-loompa.

Charlie hurriedly pulled the gigantic bolt loose that held the door shut and swung it open.

* * *

Melissa was shocked when the enormous steel door finally swung open to reveal her enthusiastic cousin who immediately leapt at her, almost knocking her down the stairs with the force.

She was a good foot taller than him (being nearly 8 years older) and so she simply laid her hands across his back as he had his wrapped firmly around her waist with his face buried in her stomach.

She laughed softly. After a minute she said "Hello Charlie"

"Hello Melissa" he pulled back to grin up at her. "Come inside" He pulled her hurriedly by one hand while she made a quick grab for her bag on the way in and he released her for a moment to bolt the door behind them once more.

"So Charlie, what happened? What are you doing here?.." Melissa inquired as she stared around the front room of the factory in awe. Everything was red plush and regal looking yet with a quirky twist.

"()'realllivinghere,isn'tthatwonderful?"

"Huh!" Melissa said (Charlie had a habit of talking really fast when he was excited), "So this factory is yours now and your living here with…"

"Everyone, Mum and Dad and Grandpa Joe and Grandma Josephine and Grandpa George and Grandma Georgina and Willy Wonka! (Oh, and some Oompa-Loompas).

"Willy Wonka?"

Just then they heard a puffed voice and a flurry of coats "Charlie where?..."

Melissa heard the man's voice catch and she turned her head to the right and almost fell over. A guy stood before her, tall, well dressed though a little eccentric (she liked them that way anyway) and with a wide-eyed expression that she didn't realize mirrored her own at that point.

Charlie stood in between them and looked from side to side. He was the only one at present who was aware of the fact that they were standing in stunned silence staring at each other, quite comically.

"Um…" he said to break the silence, "So Melissa, this is Willy Wonka, Willy, this is my cousin Melissa."

"Hi…"

"Hello!"

"Ok then", Charlie continued after the conversation progressed no further, lets go see everyone Melissa, I'm sure they're as anxious to see you again as I am."

With that Willy turned on his heel and marched off in the direction that he had come, Charlie and Melissa in tow. Two Oompa-Loompas appeared to carry Melissa's bag for her.

"_That's _Willy Wonka." Melissa whispered incredulously into Charlie's ear.

"Yes, what did you expect?" Charlie asked, he was a little irritated that she seemed more interested in Willy than she did in him but then he never had understood girls.

* * *

As Willy walked, he could feel a cold shiver going up his spine knowing that they were both behind him. He didn't remember girls looking like that! They were smaller and more slimy and disgusting. This one was odd, it was like she was half a girl and half an adult. He just didn't understand what he was feeling or what was happening, you see, he'd spent his teens surrounded by candy and now all of his perceptions were being forced to change. :)


	2. Chapter 2

_Hey you guys, here's my attempt at humour. Thanks to those who put my story on their favourites list or on alert. :) Please **R&R **:) God Bless xx_

**Chapter Two: The Dinner Fiasco**

Finally they all arrived in the meadow room where Charlie's dilapidated little house sat awkwardly, fake snow being sprinkled over it. Melissa momentarily forgot her current infatuation and bolted across the lawn and in through the little crooked door.

"Melissa!" everyone shouted excitedly and one by one Melissa went around and hugged them all in turn. First her uncle, then Grandma Georgina, Grandpa George, Grandma Josephine, Grandpa Joe and then lastly, her intuitive Aunt Helena.

Melissa wasn't sure whether or not she liked the fact that her sweet, lovely but strangely intuitive aunt seemed to always guess what was on her mind, no matter how much she masked it for everyone else.

As she stood tugged to her, her aunt whispered in her ear "There's something else isn't there Melissa, what have you not told me?"

"Nothing, nothing at all Aunt Helena" she tried to smile sweetly but her aunt just smiled mischievously in return.

Suddenly Charlie and Willy appeared in the doorway, Charlie looking excited as always, suddenly over his previous disgust at being pushed aside for another and now in the exciting heat of introductions again.

Willy looked a little unwell, as though he could be blown over by a puff of wind and when Grandma Josephine inquired if he was sick he merely laughed his nervous titter which was all Aunt Helena needed as confirmation.

As Melissa saw all of the pieces starting to slide into place as her aunt's eyes flickered between the two, Melissa's heart began to sink in preparation for an awkward and embarrassing situation.

"Will you be staying for dinner Willy dear?" Helena smiled sweetly.

"Uh, well, ye…"

"Excellent" and with one flash of a brilliant smile at Melissa she hurriedly began dealing out plates on the table.

Melissa and Willy bolted for the table, starting at opposite ends of the table and slowly through everyone's combined efforts of getting to their selected places first (yes, even the grandparents got there first) ended up standing next to each other at the only two chairs that weren't occupied and so with a sigh, they both sat down and tried not to look at each other.

Everything went well until Aunt Helena, who was sitting on Melissa's other side (her left) asked "Would you pass the salt please Willy?"

Of course Willy had to pass it right across Melissa (which of course was Helena's plan all along) but Willy, suddenly realizing that his arm was less than two inches from Melissa's bosom suddenly jumped and dropped the salt shaker whose head came off, spilling salt all over her.

While the two sat apologizing to one another profusely, everyone was trying desperately to stop themselves from laughing.

The pair also made the mistake of standing at the same time, Helena to go change and Willy to fetch her a napkin, so that their heads banged together, causing Melissa to fall forward and Willy to catch her by the tops of her arms, which was really too much for any of them to bear and resulted in everyone except the two exploding into fits of laughter.

They were both flushed red with embarrassment and while Melissa pried herself from his arms (he was out of it with shock) and bolted upstairs to get changed with her bag that the Oompa-Loompas had just delivered, Willy sat back down, staring at his purple gloved hands which he could not contemplate as having just touched Charlie's cousin.

Melissa tried to get changed as quickly as possible up in Charlie's room but couldn't help but peer over the edge, down at him. He'd taken his top hat off since he'd came inside and Melissa could see his silky brown hair glistening and his defined cheek-bones standing out on his face.

Eventually she came back down again, wearing a purple (yes, purple) dress. Willy's eyes locked on hers so that they stared for at each other for a moment which only seemed awkward afterwards.

The real cruncher came when Willy went to say goodnight to everyone. He hugged everyone female awkwardly (he was still getting used to the whole touching thing) and shook every man's hand.

The last person he came to was of course Melissa who has been dreading this since she saw him making his way around the room.

"Goodnight Melissa"

"Goodnight Willy"

Slowly and awkwardly they put their arms around one another. When they were finally embracing however both softened and relaxed into one another, enjoying the feel of one another considerably.

Melissa was marveling at how good his velvet jacket felt rubbing against her cheek and Willy stood smelling her hair (it smelt like Vanilla) and both of them were very hesitant to let the other go but knew that with the other seven family members standing around them that it was starting to get incredibly awkward and so eventually they broke apart.

As he walked out and shut the door behind him, Melissa turned to her family, who were all beaming and dying to taunt her and stated adamantly "Don'.anything." and continued to smile to herself.

Willy collapsed on the giant purple cover of his king sized bed with an enormous gold W sewn into the centre and sighed to himself. If he closed his eyes really tightly, he could still feel her and smell the vanilla smell of her hair.

An Oompa-loompa came in then and began asking questions without words to which Willy responded "Yes I had a good night, oh, and I was thinking of making something new tomorrow, something with Vanilla so can you go get me a couple million beans, Thankyou.


	3. Chapter 3

_Hey Everyone, thankyou so much to the people who've reviewed this story so far or added it to their favouritrs or alerts. I'm sorry this chapter has taken so long to write and that it's so short but i've had exams again (they never seem to stop :)). If any of you have any suggestions or requests just let me know. I'm sure Willy and Melissa would be happy to take suggestions on how their relationship should progress. :) Please **R&R. :) **God Bless xx_

**Chapter Three: Sailing**

The next day, Melissa awoke to the dull surroundings and cool draughts of the Bucket house. It took her a moment to actually recall where she was and then, as the past twenty-four hours came slotting into place, a smile involuntarily stretched wide across her face and she couldn't help but blush.

Charlie, who also slept upstairs, had already gone down and as she continued to lie down, dreaming about the past days events, she listened to their idle conversation.

"Hey Mum!"

"Shhh," she heard her Aunt Helena go, "Melissa's still asleep remember, poor girl, I can't imagine how tired she must be after having to trek up that icy hill yesterday. She needed a good sleep in."

Lovely, considerate Aunt Helena, Melissa thought to herself. She hoped that she would be like that when she was older, a kind daughter, a wonderful wife, a loving mother…

"Oh, Hi Willy"

She bolted upright. As she looked down at herself and realized that she was still wearing her nightdress and then put her hands to her hair and realized what a shock of frizz it would be in after the nights sleep, her heart began to race.

"Hi Mrs. Bucket," Willy replied, oblivious to the carrying on upstairs, "I was wondering if any of you would like to come for a sail on the chocolate river after breakfast. I just love the feel of good chocolate air rushing past me…. Oh, and of course, M-Melissa is also…VERY welcome to come." Willy's confident start suddenly dropped off the end of a cliff as his brain clicked in again.

Helena smiled warmly. "Thankyou for the invitation Willy but all of us adults have decided to have a spring cleaning day today. I'm sure Charlie and Melissa would love to come though."

CRASH! They all jumped as the loud sound of Melissa tripping over her suitcase seemed to positively shake the house.

A minute later, Melissa came tearing down from the landing, breathless from the exertions of making herself presentable for the morning and standing before Willy positively beaming, that is before her brain clicked in and her eyes grew wide (they both had this problem you see ).

Poor, naïve Willy thought he'd break the ice by remarking how interesting the stitching was on Melissa's dress. Melissa, realizing in her haste that she had in fact put her dress on inside-out turned a dark shade of rouge and rushed back upstairs for round two of her morning routine.

* * *

An hour later saw Willy, Charlie and Melissa all climbing into the giant, pink, sugary seahorse that Willy lovingly called 'boat'. Melissa had climbed in first, followed hastily by Charlie who sat between the pair and seemed oblivious to the two who sat on either side of him and stared into space while he rambled on about making candy seahorses that children could sail in and then lick out of existence.

When at last they returned to the meadow, Charlie positively flew out of the boat, eager to tell his mother about his seahorse idea, leaving Willy and Melissa to gingerly step out.

Willy got out first and then, instinctively, he held out his hand and she took it and heaved herself out of the boat and back onto dry land.

For a minute, Melissa couldn't help but lose herself in his eyes. She felt as though she could just swim in them all day, like the chocolate river, losing herself in their depth and warmth.

Then it clicked and their hands fell to their sides, their faces fell to the ground and they proceeded to walk back to the house.

"You have a lovely meadow here." Melissa interjected, breaking the awkward silence.

"Thankyou," Willy beamed, "if you like it now, you should see it in Summer."

"Yes, I can imagine, but I only ever stay with my Aunt and Uncle in winter, I'm afraid I shall never see it."

Willy stopped suddenly and turned to her. "You shall see it tomorrow."

"Pardon?" Melissa asked, a little dazed at the outburst.

"I'll have the Oompa-Loompas melt the ice for you so that you can see it. If they work the heaters through the night, it should get the job done by then."

"Oh, you don't have to go to all that trouble for me, I'm sure I can just imagine…"

"But I want to." Their eyes met, and a wave of understanding flooded through them. "Would you like to have a picnic with me tomorrow in the meadow, next to the river?"

Melissa smiled sweetly and Willy's heart flipped. "I'd love to."

* * *

As Helena watched the two approaching the little cottage from across the frozen meadow, she smiled to herself, as she noticed the hands, fighting to remain at their sides, itching to make contact. She wondered when they would.


	4. Chapter 4

_Hey everyone. Thanks for reading, reviewing or putting this story on your favourites or alert list. It really means a lot to me. :) This chapter is a little longer, a little deeper and a little more romance with less humour so i'm sorry if you are really enjoying the humour. It should be back a bit more in the next chapter. Please **R&R **:) God Bless xx_

**Chapter Four: The Picnic**

Melissa lay back on the blanket with her eyes closed and smiled as she felt the warmth of the meadow room sun. She reached out her arms and brushed the sugary green grass before opening her eyes and sitting up again, still positively beaming as she looked around.

Willy's mouth only twitched slightly up at one corner but his rich, chocolate brown eyes showed a love and a joy that truly shone out of him. Melissa would have noticed had she looked.

"It's sooo beautiful in here." She turned to him and he snapped out of his reverie.

"Oh, yes, Thankyou."

She offered him a smile which he returned.

"Would you like something to eat? I've brought a sample of everything Charlie and I have created this year." Slowly he brought out one treat after another. Everything was made of sugar and Melissa laughed inwardly, comparing the spread to her Mum's own cold turkey sandwiches and home-made marmalade.

"What's this?" She eagerly picked up a tiny bottle and unscrewed the lid, "Nail polish?"

"Uh, that's _lickable _nail polish" He quickly retorted while she carefully painted her right index nail. The colour came out as a glittering swirl of rainbow colours and she laughed after taking a satisfying lick.

"It's really good", she beamed, "so you and Charlie have really been working hard this year. Why was it that you decided to give the factory to Charlie anyway?"

Willy debated with himself whether or not to give Melissa the long-version with his semi-annual haircut and decided to simply reply, "I needed someone to leave the factory to when I'm gone."

Melissa gaped, "what are you talking about. You're still only young!"

"But it will take decades for me to teach and work with Charlie for me to be satisfied that the factory will remain as it is now."

"Oh", she turned her head and looked down at the grass in front of her, "I gather that you decided against having children of your own."

"Yes, well, I would never want to put my child through the torments my father put me through."

Melissa looked back up at him. He stared ahead, his eyes now dark, almost black.

She instinctively reached her hand out to place it over his own but then let it fall back to her side. "So, you don't speak to your father?"

"Oh, I do," his mood lightened a bit, "I went and saw him again recently with Charlie but…"

He suddenly turned to her with a rapidity that made her jump "candy is my life, my passion, my inspiration." He gestured with his hands around at the meadow and Melissa felt she understood what he meant.

"And?" she encouraged him to continue.

"And my father was, is, a dentist."

"Oh". All was silent for a minute while they let that news sink in. "I think I can understand."

Willy looked up to her in disbelief. "You, you can?"

"Yeah," she twirled a piece of sugar grass between her right thumb and forefinger. "You see, my Dad was a developer, of office buildings and me, well, I didn't want him to destroy the trees and the animals and just the general beauty of nature in order to put some ugly office buildings in."

She, as he had done before her, gestured around at the meadow in which they found themselves. All that could be heard was the soothing noise of the chocolate waterfall. "You and I both look at this place and feel as though we'd never want to leave but for different reasons. You have an absolute passion for candy, anything at all to do with it and in here you've made it a sort of detailed craft. You've demonstrated what it means to truly live in a world of Candy. When I look around this place, I am absolutely swept away by the absolute beauty of it all. The detail, the grass, the waterfall, everything is just so perfect and free."

Her face and body fell suddenly then. "My father passed away from cancer about three months ago. In his last few weeks I used to take him out into the hospital gardens and wheel him around. I've never felt so close to him as I did in those last few weeks. As he lay on his deathbed, he held my hand and he said "I'm sorry, I understand now."

She looked up and their eyes met. "It took my father's death for him to truly understand the way I saw things. I hope you have more luck with you own but, I do understand your pain."

The pair were silent for a moment more before Melissa broke the ice and changed the mood by standing up and stretching, laughing as she recalled the beauty and nature of her location.

Willy stood up too and was just about to speak to her when she took a step back and teetered on the slope of the hill. Willy reached out to try and stabilize her but they were both sent tumbling, rolling down the hill amongst the sugar grass, laughing as they went.

When they finally stopped rolling, Melissa fell flat on her back and Willy ended up on top of her.

Her hair lay around her face like the sun's rays and she simply gazed into his eyes and smiled cheekily.

For the first time in his life, Willy felt this overwhelming magnetic pull towards a woman and in particular her rose bud lips that seemed to reach out and lure him in. She looked so beautiful, more than ever right at that moment.

He began to lean in, his lips headed for hers and both of them shut their eyes in happy anticipation and then…

"Willy! Melissa! Huff huff; is it ok if we all go on a boat ride later?"

And then the spell was broken. The pair both opened their eyes and blushed heavily as they realized how they were. Melissa's legs were currently pinned between Willy's and the bottoms of their torsos were touching.

Willy hurriedly retreated just as Charlie emerged from over the crest of another hill.

They tried to avoid eye contact with one another. Melissa had already stood up.

"Yes, that should be fine." Willy laughed nervously.

"Do you two want to finish your picnic?" Charlie asked.

Their eyes met with common understanding, "Uh, no, I think we're finished now Charlie." Willy muttered.

"Oh, ok then. I'll help you pack up then."

Willy and Melissa turned and began the walk back up the hill they had tumbled down only moments before most happily. They could feel the heat of Charlie's gaze upon their backs and they avoided looking at one another as they began the climb. Both of them couldn't help but give a small smile however at what Charlie had interrupted and couldn't help but think of what would have occurred if he hadn't suddenly shown up on the scene.


End file.
